3 Tips to Reach 2000 ELO in Chess [With PROOF]

Summary

In this chess tutorial, the presenter shares three fundamental strategies that can elevate a player to a 2000 ELO rating. The video uses real games from a student named Henry, who significantly improved his chess skills by applying these ideas. The strategies include focusing on key opening tasks such as piece development, king safety, and rook connection; adopting a proactive mindset in the middle game by identifying opportunities to invade the opponent's territory; and recognizing common tactical errors like 'taking is a mistake,' which often leads to piece activation for the opponent. Henry's success story, including winning an international tournament, exemplifies that with the right approach, achieving a 2000 ELO rating is within reach.

Takeaways

• 🏆 Implementing a few key ideas can significantly improve chess skills, as evidenced by Henry's success in reaching 2000 ELO.
• 📚 The first key idea is to focus on the three main opening tasks: developing minor pieces, castling, and connecting the rooks.
• 🚫 Avoid taking on e4 in the opening if it releases tension and helps the opponent's pieces become more active.
• 🤔 In the middle game, think about how to advance into the opponent's territory and create threats, rather than just responding to threats.
• 👀 Look for a few strong moves that penetrate the opponent's position, as these are usually easier to find and more effective.
• 🛡 Remember, it's not okay to lose with many pieces undeveloped; ensure your pieces are active before engaging in tactics.
• 🎯 After completing the opening tasks, it's acceptable to start playing aggressively and attacking.
• 🤷‍♂️ Even high-rated players can lose with undeveloped pieces, so focus on development before rushing for tactics.
• 📉 Avoid blunders and maintain material balance by carefully considering captures and counter-attacks.
• 🌟 Henry's improvement to over 2000 ELO was achieved by studying a few lessons and implementing the ideas without extensive practice.
• 🔗 For those interested in improving their chess skills, the 'Three Steps to 2000 ELO' course is recommended for in-depth study.

Q & A

What are the three simple ideas mentioned in the video that can help a chess player reach a level of 2000?

The three simple ideas are: 1) Avoiding taking on e4 in certain positions to prevent helping the opponent's pieces become more active. 2) Focusing on the main opening tasks which include developing minor pieces, castling, and connecting the rooks. 3) In the middle game, thinking about how to go forward into the opponent's territory and create threats instead of just reacting to their moves.

Why is taking on e4 considered a mistake in the given example?

Taking on e4 is considered a mistake because it releases tension and helps the opponent's pieces become more active, potentially opening up the bishop and improving the knight's position, which in turn makes the opponent's position stronger.

What does the coach's advice about losing imply about chess strategy?

The coach's advice implies that it's not acceptable to lose when many of your pieces are still undeveloped. It suggests that players should focus on proper development before engaging in tactics that could lead to quick losses.

How did Henry from Spain manage to improve his chess rating?

Henry improved his chess rating by implementing a few key ideas from the video, which led to him regularly defeating opponents rated above 2000, including a player rated 2050.

What is the main focus during the opening phase of a chess game according to the video?

The main focus during the opening phase should be on developing minor pieces, castling to ensure the safety of the king, and connecting the rooks to have a coordinated game plan.

What is the common mistake made by players when they have a material advantage, as illustrated in the second game?

The common mistake is deviating from the main opening tasks and trying to grab material without considering the overall position and development of the pieces, which can lead to a loss despite the material advantage.

Why is it important to look at the opponent's half of the board during the middle game?

Looking at the opponent's half of the board helps to identify opportunities to create threats and advance into their territory, which can lead to a more aggressive and proactive game plan.

What is the significance of the phrase 'to take is a mistake' in the context of the video?

The phrase 'to take is a mistake' refers to a tactical rule where capturing a piece can sometimes lead to releasing tension in the position and allowing the opponent to activate their pieces, which can be detrimental to one's own position.

How did the video demonstrate the effectiveness of following classical chess rules?

The video demonstrated the effectiveness by showing games where following classical chess rules, such as focusing on development and avoiding premature captures, led to victories against higher-rated opponents.

What is the recommended approach to studying and improving in chess according to the video?

The recommended approach is to study specific lessons, such as the 'Three Steps to 2000 ELO' course mentioned in the video, and to implement the ideas learned in actual games, even without extensive practice.

What was the outcome of Henry's implementation of the ideas from the 'Three Steps to 2000 ELO' course?

After implementing the ideas from the course, Henry was able to win a tournament and defeat opponents rated above 2000, showcasing a significant improvement in his chess skills.

Outlines

00:00

🤔 Chess Strategy for 2000 ELO Level

The video script introduces three fundamental chess strategies that can help players reach an ELO rating of 2000. It shares a true story of a student named Henry from Spain who significantly improved his chess skills by implementing these ideas. The first strategy discussed is avoiding the common mistake of capturing a pawn that releases tension, which can inadvertently activate the opponent's pieces. Instead, the script suggests counter-attacking in the center, as demonstrated in a game where Henry played pawn to E5, leading to a strong position and eventual victory against a 2050-rated player. The video emphasizes the importance of not underestimating the power of simple, well-implemented ideas in chess.

05:00

🏰 Opening Principles and Tactical Awareness

This paragraph focuses on the importance of adhering to the main opening tasks in chess: developing minor pieces, castling, and connecting rooks. It uses a game example where Henry, instead of grabbing a pawn as suggested by Stockfish, played knight to C3 to complete his development. The script highlights that by focusing on these tasks, players can avoid opening disasters and maintain a solid position. After fulfilling these tasks, the video suggests thinking about aggressive moves. It also touches on the common mistake of underdeveloped pieces leading to losses, even at high ELO ratings, and reinforces the idea that reaching a 2000 ELO level is achievable with the right strategies.

10:01

🎯 Middle Game Strategy and Attack Planning

The final paragraph discusses a different way of thinking during the middle game of chess. Instead of considering individual piece moves, players should look at the opponent's half of the board and consider how to create threats and advance. The video uses a game where Henry, playing white, chose between two strong moves, Pawn to E5 and Knight to C6, to invade the opponent's territory. It illustrates how this approach can simplify decision-making and lead to stronger moves. The script also covers a common tactical mistake of 'taking is a mistake,' which can occur in many games and is useful to be aware of. The video concludes by summarizing the discussed strategies and encouraging viewers to study the 'Three Steps to 2000 ELO' course for in-depth knowledge and potentially become the next success story.

Keywords

💡Chess Elo

Chess Elo is a rating system used to calculate the relative skill levels of players in chess. It is central to the video's theme as the speaker discusses strategies to help players reach or exceed a rating of 2000. For instance, Henry from Spain improved his rating significantly by implementing the ideas shared in the video.

💡Opening Tasks

In chess, opening tasks refer to the primary objectives a player should focus on at the start of the game, such as developing minor pieces, castling, and connecting rooks. The video emphasizes the importance of adhering to these tasks to avoid opening disasters and to play the opening at a high level.

💡Double Attack

A double attack in chess is a move that simultaneously threatens two of the opponent's pieces. The script mentions a position where white is threatening a double attack, which is a tactical concept that can lead to material gain if not defended against properly.

💡Tension

In the context of the video, releasing tension refers to moves that reduce the immediate threat but potentially allow the opponent to activate their pieces more effectively. The speaker advises against such moves, as seen in the example where taking on e4 would release tension and help white's position.

💡Counter-Strike

Counter-strike in chess is a move that not only defends against an opponent's threat but also creates a threat of one's own. The video describes a scenario where black plays a counter-strike by moving a pawn to e5, which both defends against white's threat and puts pressure on white's position.

💡Overprotecting

Overprotecting a square or piece in chess means to have more than one piece defending it, often considered a waste of resources. The script illustrates this concept with black's move of the knight to d7, which overprotects the pawn on e5.

💡Pinning

Pinning occurs when a piece is attacked in such a way that it cannot move without exposing a more valuable piece to capture. The video mentions an attempt to pin a pawn to the queen, which is a common tactic used to restrict the movement of the opponent's pieces.

💡Developing Pieces

Developing pieces in chess involves moving them from their initial positions to more active squares where they can influence the game. The video stresses the importance of developing minor pieces, such as knights and bishops, as part of the opening tasks.

💡Castling

Castling is a unique move in chess that allows the king and a rook to move simultaneously, aiming to safeguard the king and connect the rooks. The video mentions castling as one of the essential tasks in the opening phase of the game.

💡Middle Game

The middle game in chess follows the opening and precedes the endgame. It is a phase where tactical and strategic maneuvers are executed. The video suggests a different way of thinking during the middle game, focusing on advancing into the opponent's territory and creating threats.

💡Blunder

A blunder in chess is a serious mistake that can lead to significant loss of material or even the game. The script provides examples of blunders made by players, such as moving the bishop to f6 without noticing the knight's attack, which resulted in a loss of material.

💡Checkmate

Checkmate is the ultimate goal in a chess game, where the opponent's king is under attack and there is no legal move to escape the threat. The video mentions a checkmate scenario where white's position falls apart, leading to a quick end of the game.

Highlights

Three simple ideas are crucial for reaching a 2000 ELO level in chess.

Henry from Spain's story demonstrates the effectiveness of these ideas in improving his chess level.

Avoid taking on e4 as it helps the opponent activate pieces and improve their position.

Implementing the ideas can lead to surprising improvements, even against higher-rated opponents.

Focus on the main opening tasks: developing minor pieces, castling, and connecting rooks.

Avoid deviations from the main plan that can lead to losing the game.

After completing the opening tasks, consider aggressive moves and attacks.

Even high-rated players can lose with undeveloped pieces, emphasizing the importance of development.

In the middle game, focus on advancing into the opponent's territory and creating threats.

Limiting your options to a few meaningful moves can simplify decision-making and improve play.

A common tactical mistake is taking on e4, which often helps the opponent rather than the player.

Implementing a few key ideas can significantly advance chess skills.

Henry's success story includes winning an international tournament and beating 2000+ rated opponents.

Studying a few lessons from 'Three Steps to 2000 ELO' was enough for Henry to see major improvements.

Players are often closer to their chess goals than they think, and small changes can make a big difference.

The video offers a course for further study to achieve a 2000 ELO level in chess.

Transcripts

what's up friends today we're gonna have

a look at three simple ideas that are

crucial for you to reach the level of

2000 in chess and if that sounds too

optimistic let me tell you that it's

actually based on a true story I always

love receiving messages from the eager

Nation from you guys and recently I've

got a message from Henry from Spain who

shared that it was enough for him just

to implement those couple ideas to get

his chest to the next level and he was

actually surprised that it turned out to

be that simple I'm gonna share these

three ideas with you and we're gonna

train them together so that you are

ready to implement them right after

watching this video so here's the first

example it is black to play I'm using

games of the student Henry which he

shared with us so why not I think this

is going to be more relatable than

watching you know Carlson's games that

are just way too advanced

in the current position we can see that

white is threatening Pawn to E5 with a

double attack to these minor pieces so

how would you play here if you are black

I'm pretty sure that a lot of players in

such case seeing the threat coming would

take on e4 and if you're part of the

eagle Nation for some time then you know

our favorite rule to take is a mistake

right so as you release the tension you

usually help your opponents to activate

his pieces this is the case for the vast

majority of the positions including this

one if Blackwater take on e4 which would

be run for black that would help white

to activate the knights put it to a more

active Square to open up the bishop and

overall this makes wise position better

so you do not want to take it again to

take the mistake that's why in the game

Harry played Pawn to E5 Counter-Strike

it in the center now White Blade Pawn

takes D5 which allows black to improve

hit the position of his Knight so it's

interesting that white is now take

making these mistakes Pawn takes now I

played Rook to E1 trying to pin this

Pawn down to the queen for black plays

Knight to D7 to over protecting the pawn

on E5 now Bishop C4 this time while he's

trying to Ping the Knight black played

coin to G6 and here notice what makes

this same mistake once again white

finally decided to capture on E5 which

allows black to activate his Knight as

well as to attack this bishop and

Black's position becomes really good at

this point now white needs to do

something about this bishop he decided

to trade it off and then he played Queen

E2 not exactly sure why anyway black

continued Bishop to G4 developing a

bishop with a Tempo now the queen needs

to go walk played B6 this time setting

it up for the pin with Bishop to C5

white played B4 when black plays Rook to

E8 bringing the last piece into play and

White's position actually falls apart

there is way too many things that black

can execute on the next move white

played King H1 But Then followed Knight

to D3 attacking the queen attacking the

Rogue and white lost within a couple

moves I'll show it real quick because

white is down material so by now it's

pretty easy for black and that was a

Checkmate by the way here's a fun fact

about this game in his matches that he

shared with me Henry wrote that for a

long time I'm facing players raid above

2000 felt hopeless for him he almost

felt like he's about to lose before the

game even begins but after implementing

those couple ideas that we're talking

about in this video he surprisingly for

him started beating these guys quite

regularly and in this case white players

rated 2050 so he's not a beginner player

but you can see how easy it was for

black to win all right now there was

another thing that I want to point out

here just as an additional reminder I

remember many years ago when I was just

a kid learning chess my coach told me

that you know it's okay to lose

sometimes everyone does but it's not

okay to lose when a bunch of your pieces

are still undeveloped and that's a

mistake that happens as you can see even

on the level of 2000 and above right so

why players is fairly high rated but

he's still losing the game with this

pieces being completely undeveloped but

we're gonna talk about that in a minute

here's the second game that will

illustrate the second rule equally

important if not more important it is

white to play the position sharp black

skin is exposed but on the other hand

black is also putting some pressure to

the king side you know the Knight is

ready to jump somewhere even though

still looks like like the situation is

shaky so what is the right approach for

white handle this how would you play

here if you're white

if you turn on stockfish it actually

says that pawn takes E5 is the best move

for white grabbing material and stuff

which claims that white is winning there

but in the reality I would wish to

highlight that in an opening you gotta

keep focus on the main three opening

tasks which are to develop minor pieces

to Castle and connect the Rooks right

we're gonna see exactly how you do that

if you stay focused on this main plan

you don't deviate to other ideas that

can drive you off track and can make you

lose the game so while D takes E5

objectively speaking is the best move I

like that white in reality played Pawn

to D3 opening up the bishop as well as

attacking the queen because again in the

opening the primary task is to develop

now black played Knight to F4

covering the diagonal as well as

counter-attacking this queen so what I

decided to take to take it off and here

we have a relatively similar situation

Stockbridge once again claims that

White's gotta grab a pawn and that it's

good for white but in the game Henry

played Knight C3 just finalized in

development and now white has finished

the three main opening tasks he has

developed pieces he has castled and he

has connected the Rooks meaning that the

Rooks are looking at each other and

there are no other pieces in between

them and once the three main opening

tasks are finished you may then start

thinking about your attack and plan but

when you just follow these simple three

rules you will ensure that you play

opening in a decent Manner and you avoid

any opening disasters and traps here

black played Pawn to G6 perhaps he was

worried that if this Pawn is undefended

and queen moves away maybe well we'll be

able to capture that and play Queen to

D7 Checkmate I guess something like that

now once you finish the opening tasks

after that it's perfectly fine to start

attacking and playing aggressive moves

therefore hero white capture this Pawn

on A5 and black realize that capturing

back is probably not such a great idea

because after Rook E1 Rook E8 is

actually coming on the next move thanks

to this Bishop from B5 therefore instead

of this black played Bishop to G7

perhaps hoping to get it back on the

next move but now after D4 white

protected this pawn and it turns out

that once the Gambler can't capture

without hanging Pawn because of Rogue D1

this time winning the queen along this

pile so Queen takes D4 is not an option

black played Pawn to A6 Bishop A4 and

now Black's pollution is completely lost

his skin is exposed he's down two pawns

and like there's nothing he can do in

the game he played Bishop to D5 and

resigned because he realized that Knight

takes T5 is coming and the last move of

black was actually a blunder but his

position was lost anyway remarkably the

black player is rated 21.50 so once

again we see that it's possible to

defeat even fairly strong players just

by following these classical chess rules

and let me reinforce this general idea

once again because while talking to

students to different people I see that

sometimes people feel that they aren't

even sure if it's doable for them to

reach the level of 2000 like they talk

about that like oh my goal is to God

it's like 2 000 or maybe 1800 like I'm

not sure if it's possible I've started

playing chess later like not as a kid

and so people are doubting even the

possibility of reaching that level but

while you see that sometimes as you're

just a few steps away from reaching to

that level just a couple new ideas I

mean if you just reduce bundles in your

case that's already plus 300 rating

points in no time right so sometimes

it's much easier than it seems all right

we have this cast what to do in an

opening you follow the three main

opening tasks you develop pieces you

cancel and connect the ropes what do you

do after that for the rest of the game

basically then there is another way of

thinking which is highly useful Here's

the final game we're gonna take a look

at today Henry is playing White against

another opponent rated above 2000 and it

is white to move

now there is a usual way of thinking

that people think about like their

pieces and then they ask themselves

where should I move them right or they

try to Parry threats of their opponents

but there's another way of thinking

which is completely different which I

encourage users a con especially in the

middle game stage it is when you start

looking at the opponent's half of the

board and you ask yourself how do I go

forward into that anime territory and

hopefully attack something or capture

something and as you think that way you

realize that the amount of options you

have available are usually very few like

you usually have very few meaningful

attacking moves on opponent's half of

the board for example in this case how

can you really advance to an opponent's

half of the board and attack something I

can see only two options which are

either Pawn to E5 or Knight to C6 and I

like both of them in the game he played

Pawn to E5 but again you see that you

narrow it down to just a few moves

instead of thinking about all kinds of

moves you could possibly play and these

moves are usually the best so they are

easier to find and they are better now

White Blade Pony five you know attacking

here the Knight attacking this poem

black recaptured queen takes E5 this

time we're putting pressure to The Rook

at this Pawn on E7 black correctly

played Rook to B1 trying to counter

attack but now Queen takes E7 at least

white manages to snatch upon and after a

trade on E1 black played Pawn to A5 it

still looks like black is much better

this Pawn is going forward it's unclear

what could wind up holes to it but you

can use the same way of thinking look at

the pause half of the ball and ask

yourself how can you move forward and

create some threads and with that in

mind white played Queen to E7 which is a

great move now from here the queen

starts creating some counter threats

which black has to Parry black played

Queen A1 he's actually a strong player

so he's also trying to attack in H2

Queen takes C3 actually black blunder

that after Queen to d8 check the only

move for black to cover is Bishop to f8

but that moves least not on F6

undefended so black played Bishop F6 but

white actually blunder the same thing as

well he did not notice that the Knight

is Henning I actually again I'm keeping

it real you know I'm showing you the

games of an adult amateur player right

she's probably just like you and he was

rated 1600 probably right now he's

higher rating uh but you see that this

is this is like very real thing for you

to follow and you can achieve the very

same results so why didn't step late

Knight C6 once again aiming to move

forward and that actually confused black

like probably was worried about 97 track

or something like that he played Queen

to C5 which is wrong and after Queen

takes F6 black resigned because white

eventually took this Knight anyway and

now if black tries to you know push the

pawn white would just go 95 you know

attack this Pawn maybe bishop D5 in the

future if this queen moves away and

white is winning the game easily alright

let's sum up we've talked about three

main themes first is opening tasks what

do you do in an opening you develop

pieces castle and connect the ropes and

as long as you stay focused on this most

important thing you play opening on a

high level and you avoid any opening

disasters next what do you do in the

middle game you look at your opponents

half of the board and you ask yourself

how do you go forward and create made

some threats there usually there are

only a few moves available and therefore

it's easier for you to find them and

they're stronger that's how you play a

bill game well and finally we also

talked about a very common pattern

called to take is a mistake this is like

a more like smaller rule more tactical

rule but it occurs in pretty much every

game that you play and that's why it's

so useful to be aware of that and again

implementing just a couple ideas

sometimes is enough to advance your chat

skills significantly and his message

Henry actually shared also the photos

from the tournament in International

Tournament that he won recently as well

as you know all these games against

opponents rated above 2000 where he

managed to win which seemed impossible

for him not to want to go and he said

that he only studied several lessons

from the course three steps to 2000 ELO

and he hasn't performed practice yet but

still just implementing those few ideas

was enough to break through his chest so

again you're much closer to your chest

goals than you probably think and if you

want to study the same course three

steps to 2000 ELO where I go in more

depth about this subject you can click

the link below the video in the

description and study it so hopefully

you'll be the next success story that I

share